新西兰面临关于《威坦哲条约》声称的“第四条”的辩论,专家们对条约的存在表示怀疑。 New Zealand faces debate over a claimed "fourth article" of the Treaty of Waitangi, with experts skeptical of its existence.

1840年签署的《威坦哲条约》一直处于新西兰历史的中心。 The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840, has been at the center of New Zealand's history. 最近的申诉表明,有一条“第四条”保障宗教自由,但没有任何历史证据支持这一点。 Recent claims suggest a "fourth article" guaranteeing religious freedoms, but no historical evidence supports this. 条约最初有三条,第4条没有列入当代记录,国际法没有书面形式,使人对其存在产生怀疑。 The treaty originally had three articles, and the fourth article's absence from contemporary records and its lack of written form under international law cast doubt on its existence. 尽管有人要求承认这项申诉,但专家还是建议谨慎对待这项申诉。 Despite petitions to recognize it, experts advise treating the claim with caution.